Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 refers to a Douglas DC-8-61 that crashed at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Template:Date, killing all 261 people on board.[1][2]
Aircraft[]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a 1968-built Douglas DC-8-61, registration C-GMXQ, owned by the Canadian company Nolisair, and usually operated by Nationair; at the time of the accident, it was being wet-leased to Nigeria Airways, which in turn sub-leased it to another company to transport Nigerian pilgrims to and from Mecca.[3]
Accident[]
The aircraft departed King Abdulaziz International Airport bound for Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport; problems were reported shortly after takeoff.[1][3] The crew attempted to return to the airport of departure for an emergency landing , but the aircraft caught fire and crashed short of the runway.[1][2] All 261 occupants on board —of whom 247 were passengers— perished in the accident.[1][3][4]
Template:As of, the accident remains the deadliest one involving a DC-8, as well as the second deadliest one taking place on Saudi Arabian soil.[1]
Causes[]
The cause of the crash was found to be under-inflated tires that overheated, subsequently catching fire. The fire spread to the cargo hold, causing a failure of hydraulic systems.[2]
Aftermath[]
A memorial to the incident is located at the head office of Greater Toronto Airports Authority on the grounds of Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario.Template:Citation needed An episode of Mayday entitled Under Pressure investigated this accident.
References[]
External links[]
- Cockpit Voice Recorder Database
- Nationair history site
- Template:ASN
Template:Aviation incidents and accidents in 1991 Template:Use dmy dates